CN114727788A

CN114727788A - Radiation imaging apparatus, radiation imaging system, and control method of radiation imaging apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN114727788A
Application number: CN202080076369.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 木田晓; 多川元气
Original assignee: Canon Inc
Current assignee: Canon Inc
Priority date: 2019-11-07
Filing date: 2020-10-30
Publication date: 2022-07-08
Also published as: JP7381297B2; JP2021074233A; US12047677B2; WO2021090772A1; US20220247927A1

Abstract

A radiation imaging apparatus includes: a first module including a first detection unit configured to detect radiation that has passed through a subject; a second module including a second detection unit configured to detect the radiation that has passed through the subject and the first detection unit; and a control unit configured to control the first module and the second module according to a mode selected from a plurality of modes including a first mode in which each of the first detection unit and the second detection unit captures a radiographic image and a second mode in which the first detection unit captures a radiographic image.

Description

Radiation imaging apparatus, radiation imaging system, and control method of radiation imaging apparatus

Technical Field

The invention relates to a radiation imaging apparatus, a radiation imaging system, and a control method of the radiation imaging apparatus.

Background

PTL 1 describes a radiographic image capturing apparatus including a first radiation detector that detects radiation and a second radiation detector that detects radiation that has passed through the first radiation detector. In the radiographic image capturing apparatus, the readout of the electric charges accumulated in the second radiation detector is started before the readout of the electric charges accumulated in the first radiation detector. Also, in the radiographic image capturing apparatus, when reading out the electric charges accumulated in the second radiation detector, the control unit that controls the reading out of the electric charges accumulated in the first radiation detector is set to the sleep state.

In PTL 1, only an operation of reading out both the electric charges accumulated in the first radiation detector and the electric charges accumulated in the second radiation detector is considered, and an operation of reading out only the electric charges accumulated in one radiation detector is not considered. Therefore, the application purpose of the radiographic image capturing apparatus described in PTL 1 is limited, and the versatility is low.

CITATION LIST

Patent document

PTL 1：WO 2017/168849

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a technique advantageous for improving the versatility of a radiation imaging apparatus.

An aspect of the present invention provides a radiation imaging apparatus including: a first module including a first detection unit configured to detect radiation that has passed through a subject; a second module including a second detection unit configured to detect the radiation that has passed through the subject and the first detection unit; and a control unit configured to control the first module and the second module according to a mode selected from a plurality of modes including a first mode in which each of the first detection unit and the second detection unit captures a radiographic image and a second mode in which the first detection unit captures a radiographic image.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a radiation imaging apparatus according to an embodiment;

fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a radiation imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment;

fig. 3 is a diagram showing a first example of power supply to the second module in the second mode according to the first embodiment;

fig. 4 is a diagram showing a second example of power supply to the second module in the second mode according to the first embodiment;

fig. 5 is a diagram showing a third example of power supply to the second module in the second mode according to the first embodiment;

fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a radiation imaging apparatus according to a second embodiment;

fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of power supply to the second module in the second mode according to the second embodiment;

fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a radiation imaging system according to an embodiment; and

fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the radiation imaging apparatus 1 according to each of the first and second embodiments.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following examples are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, but not all of the plurality of features are necessarily essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. The same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts in the drawings, and a repetitive description will be omitted.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a configuration of a radiation imaging apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. The radiation imaging apparatus 1 may include a first module 100 and a second module 200, the first module 100 including a first detection unit 10 that detects radiation R that has passed through the subject O, the second module 200 including a second detection unit 20 that detects radiation R that has passed through the subject O and the first detection unit 10. The first detection unit 10 detects the radiation R entering the first detection unit 10 as a radiation image. The second detection unit 20 detects the radiation R entering the second detection unit 20 as a radiation image. The term "radiation" may include not only X-rays but also, for example, alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays, particle beams, and cosmic rays.

The radiation imaging apparatus 1 may include a main drive circuit 300, the main drive circuit 300 including a main control unit (control unit) 320 that controls the first module 100 and the second module 200. The main control unit 320 may control the first and

second modules

100 and 200 according to a mode selected from a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode. The plurality of modes may include one or more other modes (e.g., a third mode).

The first mode may be the following mode: in this mode, the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20 capture radiographic images. In another aspect, the first mode may be the following mode: in this mode, the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20 detect radiation as a radiographic image, and signals (radiographic images) detected by the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20 are output. The second mode may be the following mode: in this mode, among the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20, a radiation image is captured by (only) the first detection unit 10. In another aspect, the second mode may be the following mode: in this mode, of the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20, the first detection unit 10 (only) detects radiation as a radiographic image and outputs a detected signal (radiographic image).

The first pattern may be a pattern for generating an image by, for example, an energy subtraction (energy subtraction) method. The energy subtraction method is a method for generating a third image different from both the first image and the second image based on the first image formed by radiation in the first energy range and the second image formed by radiation in the second energy range. Here, the first energy range and the second energy range are energy ranges different from each other. The first energy range and the second energy range may not have energy ranges that overlap each other, or a portion of the first energy range and a portion of the second energy range may overlap each other. In the second mode, of the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20, the first detection unit 10 (only) may capture a still image or a moving image. The moving image may be formed of a plurality of images captured at a predetermined frame rate. In an example, the power consumption of the second module 200 in the second mode is less than the power consumption of the second module 200 in the first mode.

The first detection unit 10 may include a plurality of first pixels each configured to convert radiation R in the first energy range into an electric signal. In an example, the first detection unit 10 may include a first scintillator configured to convert radiation R in a first energy range into light (such as visible light), and a plurality of conversion elements each configured to convert the light converted by the first scintillator into an electrical signal. Each conversion element of the first detection unit 10 may form one first pixel. The first scintillator may be shared by a plurality of first pixels. The second detection unit 20 may include a plurality of second pixels each configured to convert the radiation R in the second energy range into an electric signal. In an example, the second detection unit 20 may include a second scintillator configured to convert the radiation R in the second energy range into light (such as visible light), and a plurality of conversion elements each configured to convert the light converted by the second scintillator into an electrical signal. Each conversion element of the second detection unit 20 may form one second pixel. The second scintillator may be shared by a plurality of second pixels.

The first module 100 may include not only the first sensing cell 10 but also a driving circuit that drives the first sensing cell 10. The second module 200 may include not only the second sensing unit 20 but also a driving circuit that drives the second sensing unit 20. The main drive circuit 300 may include not only the main control unit 320 but also a power supply circuit including the main power supply 310.

The radiation imaging apparatus 1 includes a housing 40, and the housing 40 may include a first plate portion 41, a second plate portion 42, and a side plate portion 43. The first plate portion 41 and the second plate portion 42 are arranged facing each other, and the side plate portion 43 connects the first plate portion 41 and the second plate portion 42. The first plate part 41, the second plate part 42, and the side plate part 43 define an inner space separated from the outer space, and the first module 100, the second module 200, and the main driving circuit 300 are disposed in the inner space. The first plate portion 41 includes an incident surface into which radiation enters via the subject O. The first detection unit 10 is arranged between the first plate part 41 and the second detection unit 20. The first and

second detection units

10 and 20 may be supported by a support body 50 connected to the housing 40.

The first sensing unit 10 and the first driving circuit 110 may be electrically connected through a connection part such as a flexible cable. The second detection unit 20 and the second driving circuit 210 may be electrically connected through a connection portion such as a flexible cable. The first driving circuit 110 may be electrically connected to the main driving circuit 300 through a connection portion such as a flexible cable. The second driving circuit 210 may be electrically connected to the main driving circuit 300 through a connection portion such as a flexible cable. The first driving circuit 110, the second driving circuit 210, and the main driving circuit 300 may be formed of one plate, or may be formed of a plurality of plates.

The radiation imaging apparatus 1 may include a switch 60 configured to set a mode of the radiation imaging apparatus 1. Also, the radiation imaging apparatus 1 may include a display unit 70 configured to display a mode set in the radiation imaging apparatus 1. The switch 60 and the display unit 70 may be disposed on the case 40 (e.g., the side plate portion 43).

Fig. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the radiation imaging apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The radiation imaging apparatus 1 may be configured to communicate wirelessly or by wire with a main control apparatus (information processing apparatus) MC as an external apparatus. The main control apparatus MC may function as a control apparatus that controls the radiation imaging apparatus 1, and as an information processing apparatus that processes signals supplied from the radiation imaging apparatus 1. The main control apparatus MC may include, for example, an operation unit (console) to be operated by a user, a first interface configured to connect a radiation source (not shown) wirelessly or by wire, and a second interface configured to connect the radiation imaging apparatus 1 wirelessly or by wire. The main control device MC may receive a signal of an image captured by the radiation imaging apparatus 1 via the second interface and process it. This processing may include, for example, processing to generate a new image by the subtraction method described above. The master control means MC may be formed by, for example, a general-purpose or special-purpose computer on which a program is installed, or a combination of some or all of these.

In an example, a first signal (first image) detected by the first detection unit 10 and a second signal (second image) detected by the second detection unit 20 may be output (transmitted) from the radiation imaging apparatus 1 to the main control apparatus MC. In this case, the main control device MC may generate a third signal (third image) by energy subtraction based on the first signal and the second signal. In another example, the main control unit 320 may generate a third signal (third image) by energy subtraction based on the first signal (first image) detected by the first detection unit 10 and the second signal (second image) detected by the second detection unit 20.

The first driving circuit 110 of the first module 100 may include, for example, a first driving unit 111 that drives the first detection unit 10 and a first reading unit 112 that reads out a signal from the first detection unit 10. The first detection unit 10 may include a plurality of first pixels arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. Each of the first pixels may include, for example, a conversion element, and a switch that controls electrical connection and disconnection between the conversion element and a column signal line. The first driving unit 111 may include, for example, a scanning circuit configured to scan a plurality of rows of the first detection unit 10, and a driver to drive the plurality of rows based on an output of the scanning circuit. The driver may generate a drive signal for driving the switches of the first pixels of the corresponding row. The first reading unit 112 may include a plurality of column circuits that read out signals of the first pixels from a plurality of columns of the first detection unit 10 in parallel, and a multiplexer (column selection circuit) that sequentially selects and outputs signals of the plurality of columns read out by the column circuits.

The first driving circuit 110 may further include at least one of a first power source 113, a first memory 114, a first control unit 115, and a first communication unit 116. The first power source 113 may supply power not only to the first detection unit 10 but also to constituent elements in the first drive circuit 110 (e.g., the first drive unit 111, the first reading unit 112, the first memory 114, the first control unit 115, and the first communication unit 116).

The main driving circuit 300 may include a main power supply 310, and the first power supply 113 may supply power to the first detection unit 10 and constituent elements in the first driving circuit 110 based on the power supplied from the main power supply 310. The first power source 113 may include, for example, a DC/DC converter. The first memory 114 may store the signal read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112. The main drive circuit 300 may include a main control unit 320, and the first control unit 115 may control the constituent elements of the first module 110 according to instructions from the main control unit 320. The first control unit 115 may control the first driving unit 111 and the first reading unit 112 according to an instruction from the main control unit 320 so that the first detection unit 10 accumulates charges corresponding to the incident radiation, and signals corresponding to the charges are read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112. The first communication unit 116 may communicate with the master control device MC. More specifically, the first communication unit 116 may receive an instruction from the main control device MC or transmit a signal read by the first reading unit 112 and information indicating the state of the first module 100 to the main control device MC.

The second module 200 may have the same configuration as the first module 100. More specifically, the second module 200 may include a second driving circuit 210. The second driving circuit 210 may include, for example, a second driving unit 211 that drives the second detection unit 20 and a second reading unit 212 that reads out a signal from the second detection unit 20. The second detection unit 20 may include a plurality of second pixels arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. Each of the second pixels may include, for example, a conversion element, and a switch that controls electrical connection and disconnection between the conversion element and the column signal line. The second driving unit 211 may include, for example, a scanning circuit configured to scan a plurality of rows of the second detection unit 20, and a driver to drive the plurality of rows based on an output of the scanning circuit. The driver may generate a drive signal for driving the switches of the second pixels of the corresponding row. The second reading unit 212 may include a plurality of column circuits that read out signals of the second pixels from a plurality of columns of the second detection unit 20 in parallel, and a multiplexer (column selection circuit) that sequentially selects and outputs signals of a plurality of columns read out by the column circuits.

The second driving circuit 210 may further include at least one of a second power source 213, a second memory 214, a second control unit 215, and a second communication unit 216. The second power supply 213 may supply power not only to the second detection unit 20 but also to the constituent elements in the second drive circuit 210 (e.g., the second drive unit 211, the second reading unit 212, the second memory 214, the second control unit 215, and the second communication unit 216).

The second power source 213 may supply power to the constituent elements in the second detection unit 20 and the second module 200 based on the power supplied from the main power source 310. The second power source 213 may include, for example, a DC/DC converter. The second memory 214 may store the signal read out from the second detection unit 20 by the second reading unit 212. The second control unit 215 may control the constituent elements of the second drive circuit 210 according to instructions from the main control unit 320. The second control unit 215 may control the second driving unit 211 and the second reading unit 212 according to an instruction from the main control unit 320 so that the second detection unit 20 accumulates charges corresponding to the incident radiation, and signals corresponding to the charges are read out from the second detection unit 20 by the second reading unit 212. The second communication unit 216 may communicate with the master control device MC. More specifically, the second communication unit 216 may receive an instruction from the main control device MC or transmit a signal read by the second reading unit 212 and information indicating the state of the second module 200 to the main control device MC.

The main driving circuit 300 may further include a main power supply 310 in addition to the main control unit 320. The radiation imaging apparatus 1 or the main drive circuit 300 may include a connector 312 to which power is supplied via a power supply cable, and the main power supply 310 may supply power to the first power supply 113 and the second power supply 213 based on the power supplied to the connector 312. The power supplied to the connector 312 may be AC power or DC power. The connector 312 and the main power supply 310 may be stored in a housing different from that for the rest of the radiation imaging apparatus 1. If the power supplied to the connector 312 is AC power, the main power supply 310 may include an AC/DC converter. If the power supplied to the connector 312 is DC power, the main power supply 310 may include a DC/DC converter. The first power source 113 and the second power source 213 may each be replaced with, for example, a switch such as a relay.

A battery 311 may be connected to the main power supply 310. If no power is supplied to the connector 312, the main power supply 310 may supply power to the first power supply 113 and the second power supply 213 based on the power output from the battery 311. If power is supplied to the connector 312 and the remaining amount of the battery 311 (the amount of stored power) is less than a predetermined value, the main power supply 310 may charge the battery 311 using the power supplied to the connector 312. The remaining amount of the battery 311 may be detected based on the output voltage of the battery 311. Alternatively, the remaining amount of the battery 311 may be detected by detecting the power supply capability of the battery 311. The main power supply 310 may also supply power to the main control unit 320. The function of the main control unit 320 may be replaced with the first control unit 115, and in this case, the main control unit 320 is unnecessary.

In the first mode, both the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20 capture radiographic images and output the captured radiographic images. In the first mode, the first power source 113 may supply power to the constituent elements in the first detection unit 10 and the first drive circuit 110, and the second power source 213 may supply power to the constituent elements in the second detection unit 20 and the second drive circuit 210. In the second mode, of the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20, the first detection unit 10 captures a radiographic image and outputs the captured radiographic image. The power supplied to at least one constituent element of the plurality of constituent elements of the second module 200 in the second mode may be made smaller than the power supplied to the at least one constituent element in the first mode.

Fig. 3 shows a first example of power supply to the second module 200 in the second mode according to the first embodiment. Here, in fig. 3, the electric power supplied to the constituent elements shown in gray in the second mode is smaller than the electric power supplied to these constituent elements in the first mode, and is zero, for example. For example, the power consumption of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the second mode is smaller than the power consumption of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the first mode.

In a first example, the main control unit 320 may operate to operate the first power supply 113 and the second power supply 213 in a first mode, and operate the first power supply 113 but not the second power supply 213 in a second mode. Focusing on the second power source 213, the main control unit 320 may operate to operate the second power source 213 in the first mode but not to operate the second power source 213 in the second mode. This operation may be achieved by the main control unit 320 supplying a control signal to the second power source 213 and the second power source 213 operating according to the control signal. Alternatively, this operation may be achieved by arranging a switch in the power supply path from the main power supply 310 to the second module 200 and the main control unit 320 controlling the switch.

Fig. 4 shows a second example of power supply to the second module 200 in the second mode according to the first embodiment. Here, in fig. 4, the electric power supplied to the constituent elements shown in gray in the second mode is smaller than the electric power supplied to these constituent elements in the first mode, and is zero, for example. Also in the second example, the main control unit 320 controls the second module 200 such that the power consumption of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the second mode is smaller than the power consumption of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the first mode. In the second example, the second power source 213 may supply power to the second memory 214, the second control unit 215, and the second communication unit 216 in the second mode as in the first mode.

This operation may be achieved by the main control unit 320 supplying a control signal to the second power supply 213 and the second power supply 213 operating according to the control signal. Alternatively, this operation may be realized by the main control unit 320 supplying a control signal to the second control unit 215 and the second control unit 215 controlling the operations of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 according to the control signal.

In the first mode, the main control unit 320 may operate the first control unit 115 to temporarily store the signal of the image read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 in the first memory 114. Further, in the first mode, the main control unit 320 may control the second control unit 215 to temporarily store the signal of the image read out from the second detection unit 20 by the second reading unit 212 in the second memory 214. On the other hand, in the second mode, the main control unit 320 may operate the first control unit 115 to divide the signals of the image read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 and temporarily store the signals in the first memory 114 and the second memory 214. Here, the time required to divide the signals of one image read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 in the second mode and process the signals in parallel to store the signals in the first memory 114 and the second memory 214 is defined as T2. Further, the time required to store the signal of one image read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 in the first memory 114 in the first mode is defined as T1. In this case, the time T2 may be shorter than the time T1.

In the first mode, the main control unit 320 may operate the first control unit 115 to transmit a signal of an image read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 to the main control device MC through the first communication unit 116. Further, in the first mode, the main control unit 320 may operate the second control unit 215 to transmit a signal of an image read out from the second detection unit 20 by the second reading unit 212 to the main control device MC through the second communication unit 216. On the other hand, in the second mode, the main control unit 320 may operate the first and

second control units

115 and 215 to divide the signal of the image read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 and transmit the signal to the main control device MC through the first and

second communication units

116 and 216. Here, the time required for dividing the signals of one image read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 and transmitting the signals to the main control device MC through the first communication unit 116 and the second communication unit 216 in the second mode is defined as T3. Further, the time required for transmitting the signal of one image read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 to the main control device MC through the first communication unit 116 in the first mode is defined as T4. In this case, the time T3 may be shorter than the time T4.

If the second detection unit 20 is not driven in the second mode, it may take a long time to stabilize the imaging operation of the second detection unit 20 immediately after the transition of the second mode to the first mode. In the second mode, the main control unit 320 may reset (reset) the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20 at a predetermined cycle during a period of waiting for radiation irradiation. The reset is an operation of turning on/off a switch of each pixel in the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20 and resetting the dark charges accumulated in the conversion element. Here, in the first mode, the main control unit 320 may control the first control unit 115 and the second control unit 215 such that the first detection unit 10 and the second detection unit 20 are reset at the first cycle during a period of waiting for radiation irradiation. In the second mode, the main control unit 320 may control the second control unit 215 such that the second detection unit 20 is reset at a second cycle larger than the first cycle during a period of waiting for radiation irradiation. Also, in the second mode, the main control unit 320 may control the first control unit 115 such that the first detection unit 10 is reset at the first cycle during a period of waiting for radiation irradiation.

The reset of the first detection unit 10 may be performed by sequentially setting a plurality of driving signals corresponding to a plurality of rows of the first detection unit 10 to an active level by the first driving unit 111 while maintaining the column signal line of the first detection unit 10 at a reset potential by the first reading unit 112. The time required to set all of the plurality of rows to the active level is one cycle. The period corresponds to a period from the on input of the switch of each pixel to the next on input. This also applies to the resetting of the second detection unit 20. The reset of the second detection unit 20 may be performed by sequentially setting a plurality of driving signals corresponding to a plurality of rows of the second detection unit 20 to an active level by the second driving unit 211 while maintaining the column signal lines of the second detection unit 20 at a reset potential by the second reading unit 112.

As a driving method for the reset of the second detection unit 20, not only a driving method of sequentially setting a plurality of rows to an active level but also a driving method of simultaneously setting all of the plurality of rows to an active level may be used. When the first and

second detection units

10 and 20 are reset by the same driving method or different driving methods, in the second mode, the interval of turn-on to next turn-on of the switch of each pixel is greater in the second period of the second detection unit than in the first period of the first detection unit 10. Further, the off period between the turn-on and the next turn-on of the switch is preferably long. During the reset period of the first and

second detection units

10 and 20, an active-level reset pulse may be supplied to the reset switch of the integrating amplifier of each of the first and

second reading units

112 and 212 to reset the potential of the column signal line to the reference potential of the integrating amplifier. Circuits (e.g., a multiplexer and an a/D converter) after the integrating amplifier of the second reading unit 212 do not need to be operated, and this can reduce power consumption.

Fig. 5 shows a third example of power supply to the second module 200 in the second mode according to the first embodiment. Here, in fig. 5, the electric power supplied to the constituent elements shown in gray in the second mode is smaller than the electric power supplied to these constituent elements in the first mode, and is zero, for example. Also in the third example, the main control unit 320 controls the second module 200 such that the power consumption of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the second mode is smaller than the power consumption of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the first mode.

This operation may be achieved by the main control unit 320 supplying a control signal to the second power source 213 and the second power source 213 operating according to the control signal. Alternatively, this operation may be realized by the main control unit 320 supplying a control signal to the second control unit 215 and the second control unit 215 controlling the operations of the second memory 214, the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 according to the control signal. In the third example, the second power source 213 may supply power to the second control unit 215 in the second mode as in the first mode.

Fig. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the radiation imaging apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. Matters not mentioned in the second embodiment may follow the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the main driving circuit 300 includes a control unit 341, a communication unit 342, and a memory 343, and the control unit 341, the communication unit 342, and the memory 343 are shared by the first module 100 and the second module 200.

The control unit 341 may operate according to an instruction from the main control device MC. The control unit 341 controls the constituent elements of the main drive circuit 300, and the first and

second modules

100 and 200. The signal read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 can be output (transmitted) to the main control device MC through the communication unit 342. Similarly, the signal read out from the second detection unit 20 by the second reading unit 212 may be output (transmitted) to the main control device MC through the communication unit 342. The signal read out from the first detection unit 10 by the first reading unit 112 may be stored in the memory 343. Similarly, the signal read out from the second detection unit 20 by the second reading unit 212 may be stored in the memory 343.

The power supply 344 may supply power to the constituent elements of the first module 100 and the second module 200 based on the power supplied to the connector 312. The power supplied to the connector 312 may be AC power or DC power. The connector 312 and the power supply 344 may be stored in a housing different from that for the rest of the radiation imaging apparatus 1. If the power supplied to connector 312 is AC power, power supply 344 may include an AC/DC converter. If the power supplied to connector 312 is DC power, power supply 344 may include a DC/DC converter.

The battery 311 may be connected to a power supply 344. If no power is supplied to the connector 312, the power supply 344 may supply power to the first module 100 and the second module 200 based on the power output from the battery 311. If power is supplied to the connector 312 and the remaining amount of the battery 311 (the amount of stored power) is less than a predetermined value, the power supply 344 may charge the battery 311 using the power supplied to the connector 312.

Fig. 7 shows an example of power supply to the second module 200 in the second mode according to the second embodiment. Here, in fig. 7, the electric power supplied to the constituent elements shown in gray in the second mode is smaller than the electric power supplied to these constituent elements in the first mode, and is zero, for example. For example, the power consumption of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the second mode is smaller than the power consumption of the second detection unit 20, the second drive unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the first mode.

The control unit 341 makes the electric power supplied from the power supply 344 to the second detection unit 20, the second driving unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the second mode smaller than the electric power supplied from the power supply 344 to the second detection unit 20, the second driving unit 211, and the second reading unit 212 in the first mode. This operation may be realized by, for example, arranging a switch in the power supply path from the power source 344 to the second module 200 and the control unit 341 controlling the switch.

Fig. 8 shows a radiation imaging system 1000 in which the radiation imaging apparatus 1 according to each of the first and second embodiments can be used. The radiation imaging system 1000 may include one or more radiation sources RS1 and RS2, a main control apparatus MC, one or more stands (gantry) SS1 and SS2, and the radiation imaging apparatus 1. The gantry SS1 is a gantry for capturing a subject in, for example, a standing position, and may include a holding unit SL1 that holds the radiation imaging apparatus 1. The gantry SS2 is a gantry for capturing the subject in, for example, a lying position, and may include a holding unit SL2 that holds the radiation imaging apparatus 1. The stands SS1 and SS2 are examples of stands for capturing subjects in postures different from each other, and also examples of holding the radiation imaging apparatus 1 in postures different from each other.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the radiation imaging apparatus 1 according to each of the first and second embodiments. The operation shown in this flowchart may be controlled by the main drive circuit 300 (the main control unit 320 or the control unit 341). The main control unit 320 and the control unit 341 may each be controlled by, for example, a PLD (abbreviation of Programmable Logic Device) such as FPGA (abbreviation of Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (abbreviation of Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a general-purpose or special-purpose computer on which a program is installed, or a combination of some or all of these.

In step S801, the main drive circuit 300 initializes the radiation imaging apparatus 1. In step S802, the main drive circuit 300 determines whether a mode setting instruction is transmitted from the main control device MC. If a mode setting instruction is sent from the main control device MC, step S803 is executed. Otherwise, step S804 is executed.

In step S803, the main drive circuit 300 selects one mode from a plurality of modes including the first mode and the second mode based on the state information, and sets the mode. As will be described below, the state information may be various information.

As shown in fig. 1, the radiation imaging apparatus 1 may include a switch 60. The switch 60 may be operated by a user. The information indicating the state of the switch 60 is an example of state information. The switch 60 may be, for example, a slide switch, a push button switch, or a toggle switch. The switch 60 may be a switch having a first state and a second state. In this case, the first state may specify the first mode, and the second state may specify the second mode. The main drive circuit 300 may set one of a plurality of modes according to state information indicating the state of the switch 60.

As shown in fig. 8, the radiation imaging apparatus 1 may be disposed on one gantry selected from various gantries. Each of the stands SS1 and SS2 may have information for specifying its own type. The radiation imaging apparatus 1 can acquire information indicating the type of the gantry on which the radiation imaging apparatus 1 is arranged by, for example, communication with the gantry via the communication unit (the first communication unit 116 and the second communication unit 216 in the first embodiment, or the communication unit 342 in the second embodiment). Information indicating the type of the stand (e.g., a stand for a standing position or a stand for a lying position) is an example of the state information. The main driving circuit 300 may select one mode from a plurality of modes including the first mode and the second mode based on information indicating the type of the stage. Alternatively, the main drive circuit 300 may select one mode from a plurality of modes including the first mode and the second mode based on information indicating the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus 1. The posture of the radiation imaging apparatus 1 can be detected by, for example, providing a posture sensor in the radiation imaging apparatus 1 and based on an output of the posture sensor. Alternatively, the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus 1 may be determined based on information supplied from the gantry.

The state information may be information indicating whether power is supplied to the connector 312. The state information may be information indicating the remaining amount of the battery 311 (i.e., the remaining amount of the battery). The status information may be information indicating a form of communication (e.g., wireless communication, wired communication, etc.) with the master control device MC as an external device.

Referring back to fig. 9, in step S804, the main drive circuit 300 selects one mode from a plurality of modes including the first mode and the second mode based on a mode setting instruction from the main control device MC, and sets the mode. In step S805, the main drive circuit 300 determines whether the first mode is set. If the first mode is set, the main drive circuit 300 operates the radiation imaging apparatus 1 in the first mode in step S806. On the other hand, if the second mode is set, in step S807, the main drive circuit 300 operates the radiation imaging apparatus 1 in the set mode (for example, the second mode).

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention, the following claims are made.

The present application claims priority from japanese patent application No.2019-202621, filed on 7/11/2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

List of reference numerals

1 … radiation imaging apparatus, 10 … first detection unit, 20 … second detection unit, 100 … first module, 200 … second module, 110 … first drive circuit, 210.

Claims

1. A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising:

a first module including a first detection unit configured to detect radiation that has passed through a subject;

a second module including a second detection unit configured to detect the radiation that has passed through the subject and the first detection unit; and

a control unit configured to control the first module and the second module according to a mode selected from a plurality of modes including a first mode in which each of the first detection unit and the second detection unit captures a radiographic image and a second mode in which the first detection unit captures a radiographic image.

2. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein power consumption of the second module in the second mode is smaller than power consumption of the second module in the first mode.

3. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

The first module includes a first driving unit configured to generate a first driving signal for driving the first detection unit, and a first reading unit configured to read out a signal corresponding to the electric charge accumulated in the first detection unit,

the second module includes a second driving unit configured to generate a second driving signal for driving the second detection unit, and a second reading unit configured to read out a signal corresponding to the electric charge accumulated in the second detection unit, and

the power consumption of the second detection unit, the second drive unit, and the second reading unit in the second mode is smaller than the power consumption of the second detection unit, the second drive unit, and the second reading unit in the first mode.

4. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

The first module further includes a first power supply configured to supply power to the first detection unit, the first driving unit, and the first reading unit,

the second module further includes a second power supply configured to supply electric power to the second detection unit, the second drive unit, and the second reading unit, and

the control unit operates the second power supply in the first mode, and does not operate the second power supply in the second mode.

5. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein

The first module further comprises a first memory,

the second module further comprises a second memory,

in the first mode, the control unit temporarily stores in the first memory a signal of the image read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit, and temporarily stores in the second memory a signal of the image read out from the second detection unit by the second reading unit, and

in the second mode, the control unit divides the signal of the image read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit and temporarily stores the signal in the first memory and the second memory.

6. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a time required to divide a signal of one image read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit and store the signal in the first memory and the second memory is shorter in the second mode than a time required to store the signal of one image read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit in the first memory in the first mode.

7. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein

The first module further includes a first communication unit configured to transmit a signal read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit,

the second module further includes a second communication unit configured to transmit the signal read out from the second detection unit by the second reading unit,

in the first mode, the control unit transmits a signal of the image read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit through the first communication unit and transmits a signal of the image read out from the second detection unit by the second reading unit through the second communication unit, and

in the second mode, the control unit divides a signal of the image read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit and transmits the signal through the first communication unit and the second communication unit.

8. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a time required to divide a signal of one image read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit and transmit the signal through the first communication unit and the second communication unit in the second mode is shorter than a time required to transmit a signal of one image read out from the first detection unit by the first reading unit through the first communication unit in the first mode.

9. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein in the first mode, the control unit resets the first detection unit and the second detection unit at a first cycle during a period waiting for radiation irradiation, and in the second mode, the control unit resets the second detection unit at a second cycle during the period waiting for radiation irradiation, the second cycle being larger than the first cycle.

10. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the second mode, the control unit resets the first detection unit at the first cycle during a period of waiting for radiation irradiation.

11. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a switch,

wherein the control unit sets one of the plurality of modes according to a state of the switch.

12. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the control unit sets one of the plurality of modes according to a stand on which the radiation imaging apparatus is arranged.

13. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a battery and a connector to which power is supplied via a power supply cable,

wherein the control unit sets one of the plurality of modes according to whether power is supplied to the connector.

14. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the control unit sets one of the plurality of modes according to a battery remaining amount.

15. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the control unit sets one of the plurality of modes according to a form of communication with an external apparatus.

16. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the control unit sets one of the plurality of modes in accordance with a posture of the radiation imaging apparatus.

17. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising a display unit,

wherein the control unit displays a mode selected from the plurality of modes on the display unit.

18. A radiation imaging system comprising:

a radiation imaging apparatus defined in any one of claims 1 to 17; and

an information processing apparatus configured to process a signal output from the radiation imaging apparatus.

19. The radiation imaging system according to claim 18, wherein if the first mode is selected, the information processing apparatus generates an image by an energy subtraction method based on the signal detected by the first detection unit and the signal detected by the second detection unit.

20. A control method of a radiation imaging apparatus including a first module including a first detection unit configured to detect radiation that has passed through a subject and a second module including a second detection unit configured to detect the radiation that has passed through the subject and the first detection unit, the control method comprising

The first and second modules are controlled in accordance with a mode selected from a plurality of modes including a first mode in which each of the first and second detection units captures a radiographic image, and a second mode in which the first detection unit captures a radiographic image.